Acid oceans and a symphony

The oceans around East Antarctica are becoming acidic at a faster rate than expected, and could become toxic to some forms of marine life in the next 15 years.

The findings are the result of research led by Nick Roden at the University of Tasmania and CSIRO, building on a 20-year program initiated by the Australian Antarctic Division.

Pushing through Antarctic ice. Credit: Nick Roden

The study, published in the Journal of Marine Chemistry, was the first to document these changes.

A budding videographer, Nick took a video camera with him to Antarctica. Nick’s footage and research inspired Tasmanian composer Matthew Dewey to write a symphony—ex Oceano—that promotes understanding of the role of the ocean in supporting life.

The 45-minute symphony was recorded in Prague by the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, and is available on iTunes. It was supported by Lynchpin’s Ocean Project.